Robberies of Worcester businesses up 51 percent this year

WORCESTER — Armed robberies of businesses, such as supermarkets and convenience stores, have increased compared with last year, and statistics show a spate of robberies hit the city last month.

There were 47 armed robberies of people or stores in October — the most seen this year. September also saw 34, the second most for the year. Overall, commercial armed robberies have increased in Worcester this year compared with 2012, according to Police Department statistics.

"We have the resources and data to identify areas and try to link incidents and suspects so we can be effective and reverse these trends," Police Chief Gary J. Gemme said. "When we see these types of trends it becomes an immediate concern because there is a high potential for violence."

There were 120 armed robberies of individuals from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31 in 2012. The number is close to this year's, 125 armed robberies of individuals during the same period.

But the virtually flat numbers in that category are much different than the commercial robbery statistics. From Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, 2012, there were 59 commercial robberies. The number has increased by 51 percent this year. There were 89 commercial robberies from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, police data show. Most of the robberies are occurring late at night or early in the morning.

Honey Farms stores have been robbed the most this year. The Vernon Street location has been robbed five times this year. The store was the site of an April robbery in which a male clerk was shot in the face.

Worcester police continue to talk to store owners about better security, lighting and other measures to secure stores better.

"There are some things businesses can do that would prevent them from being targets of robbery, and we try to convey that to them," the chief said.

The department's Street Violence Prevention Unit has been placed in areas known for commercial robberies this year. The unit, which works undercover, focuses on violence.

A review of robberies in September, October and November shows a handful of suspects were allegedly responsible for a major spike in armed robberies. The spree robberies, as they are commonly known in law enforcement circles, tend to cause a drastic increase in crime statistics.

Police continue to search for one man they believe robbed four supermarkets in October and November.

In each case the man robbed the stores with a handgun. Records show the robberies occurred at busy morning or evening times, which is a concern for police because customers are inside the supermarkets during these robberies.

A string of gas station robberies on Chandler, Grove and West Boylston streets have a suspect with the same description.

Police made three arrests in gas station robberies on West Boylston Street in October and a cluster of convenience store robberies last month.

"We know that one active individual can create a mini-crime wave. We've seen that over the years and continue to see that," Chief Gemme said. "We have made a number of arrests and connected numerous robberies to specific suspects or individuals."